Like eggplant parmigiano, but simpler

Hey there.

So I haven't been writing much lately - maybe you've noticed?  Sorry about that.  In the last few weeks, I've taken charge of a big new project at work that has been occupying most of my time and thoughts, and even some of my dreams... so you could say I've been a little preoccupied.  At the end of the day, I haven't felt much like writing, because if I'm going to write, I want to do it well, and that takes time and energy and focus, all of which have been put to other use.

But there's something I really need to tell you about before we waste any more time.  I've eaten it twice a week for the last three or four weeks, and there's more stored away in the freezer, and if that doesn't mean it's good, I don't know what does.

I don't really know what to call it, so maybe I'll just tell you about the first time I ate it.  I had just arrived in Lausanne, Switzerland, where I was looking forward to spending a few days with Justine.  That evening, one of her coworkers, an Italian named Giulia, had offered to make us dinner.  After serving us perfectly al dente pasta with pesto made from basil in her parents' garden and olive oil from their family friends, Giulia brought out an eggplant dish.  "Like eggplant parmigiano, but simpler," she explained.  The eggplant had been diced, and cooked with tomatoes, and baked with cheese on top: in other words, eggplant parm without the breading and frying.  I enjoyed it, and made a mental note to add it to my repertoire.

Fast forward to fourteen months later, and as the eggplants continue to show up each week at the market, I've been continuing to snatch them up and make this dish every Saturday night, with leftovers for dinner on Mondays.  It takes a little while to cook the eggplant, but otherwise this dish couldn't be easier, and it is so, so good.  It's one of those dishes that every time I taste it, even though I knew it was good, I surprise myself again with just how good it really is.  And that's why I can't justify waiting any longer to tell you about it.  It's rich and earthy and so flavorful, and uses just a handful of ingredients, most of which are vegetables.  It's not flashy, and it's certainly not the prettiest thing I ever ate, but it makes me so happy every time I eat it.

Who knows if there will still be any eggplant left at the market this weekend, but if there is, you know what I'm having for dinner Saturday night.  And I hope that's the case, because then I don't have to figure out what I'm having for dinner that night, and frankly, I don't have much energy left for important decisions like that just now.

Eggplant and tomatoes

Sorry, I know that's not a very sexy name for a dish - especially one as super fantastic as this one - but that's basically what this is.  If you've got a better one, I'm all ears.  Back when the tomatoes were at their peak, I used fresh ones for this dish, but lately I've been using canned and they've been great.

1 onion, diced
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 large eggplants, diced into 3/4"-size pieces
2 teaspoons sea salt
1 28-oz can diced tomatoes
2 cups tomato sauce
4 cloves garlic, minced or put through a garlic press
2 teaspoons herbes de Provence (or a mix of dried rosemary, oregano, thyme, marjoram, basil...)
1/2 pound fresh mozzarella, shredded
1/2 cup freshly grated good parmigiano-reggiano

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Over low heat in a large pot, sweat the onion in the olive oil until soft, then add the eggplant and raise the heat to medium.  Let cook for five minutes or so, stirring every now and then to distribute the heat evenly, then add in the salt.  Let cook another five minutes, then add in the tomatoes, tomato sauce, garlic, and herbs.  Let cook 30-40 minutes, stirring every few minutes, until the eggplant is soft and delicious, with none of that green, raw eggplant flavor - it should be ready to serve as is.

Remove the pan from the heat, and pour the eggplant mixture into a large casserole dish or two - I have found that for this much eggplant, one 13 x 9 inch pan and one 8 x 8 inch pan are about right.  Sprinkle liberally with the mozzarella and parmigiano.

Bake for 15 minutes, until the cheeses are melted and beginning to brown.  Serve immediately with good, fresh, crusty bread.  Sigh with happiness.

Serves six, or reheats beautifully in the oven if there are leftovers

Pancakes and other necessities

It's October!  That must mean Halloween, which must mean pumpkins, which must mean pumpkin pancakes.  I feel like lately I've been trying to play catch up with so many fruits and vegetables as their seasons draw to an end, but it will not do with pumpkins.  Pumpkin pancakes cannot be delayed.

The first time I ate a pumpkin pancake, it was something of a revelation to me.  It was a Sunday morning, about four years ago, in, of all places, my college dining hall.  I know, I know, that's not much of a recommendation, but hear me out.  I know it was a Sunday because it was a "Sterling Brunch" - a fancy, once-a-month affair that boasted all sorts of fancy breakfast items like quiches and tortes and lox for your bagels.  And, this one fateful morning, pumpkin pancakes.  I had never considered making pumpkin anything beyond the standard pumpkin pie, and I was intrigued.  They did not disappoint: mildly sweet and incredibly aromatic, I was hooked from my first maple syrup-drenched bite.

Once I discovered pumpkin pancakes, it was as if the floodgates had opened.  Suddenly, I made pumpkin everything: pumpkin bread, pumpkin scones, pumpkin cookies, pumpkin cheesecake, pumpkin baked with ziti and cheese.  (Some of those efforts, I may say, were more successful than others.)  Within a few months, the P section of my recipe card box was full to overflowing with pumpkin recipes, nearly squeezing out underutilized letters J or D all together.  By the time spring came around and I had access to more varied vegetables than just canned pumpkin and frozen broccoli, I think I must have been quite ready to move on.

Not for long, though.  I keep coming back to them.  With just a little spice and a luscious fresh squash flavor, these pancake makes for one of my all-time favorite breakfast foods.  Luckily, now that I don't depend on the dining halls to make my breakfasts, I don't have to wait for special once-a-month brunches.  In October, once-every-three-days feels much more appropriate - especially when there's plenty of fresh apple cider on hand.

Happy autumn!

Pumpkin pancakes

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/8 teaspoon allspice
2 eggs
2 tablespoons canola or vegetable oil
1 cup plain canned pumpkin
1 1/2 cups milk
chocolate chips (optional)

In a medium bowl, sift together all the dry ingredients.

In a large bowl, beat the eggs, then add in the oil, then the pumpkin and milk.  Mix in the dry ingredients, stirring just to combine.

Heat a griddle to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, or heat a non-stick frying pan until water drops flicked on its surface dance and take about two seconds to evaporate.  Using a 1/3-cup measure, pour out circles of batter to create your pancakes.  Let the pancakes cook for 2-3 minutes, until the edges look dry and the top surface is pock-marked with indentations.  Flip the pancakes, and let them continue to cook another 1-2 minutes, until firm when depressed with the spatula.

If you want to include chocolate chips, you can mix them into the batter, or, if you only want chocolate chips in some of the pancakes, you can do what I do:  when cooking a chocolate chip pancake, spread a thin layer of batter on the griddle, sprinkle with chocolate chips, and top with another thin layer of batter.  These pancakes tend to be on the thick side, and consequently take a little longer to cook.  On the plus side, though, there's no melted chocolate mess to clean up on your griddle!

Serve immediately with warm maple syrup, and fresh cider to drink, if you've got it!

Serves 3-4